1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to digital content recording, and more particularly to systems, methods and apparatus in which a content provider transmits content to receiving terminals through a computer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technologies for distributing content such as videos and music through a computer network have begun to proliferate. One example of a system that allows users to access and provide audio content operates in an Internet environment and implements a directory file server. There, a user of a client device searches among titles found in a directory. The user selects discovered titles, and the server brokers the downloading of a selected title to the client device from another client device connected to the server. In this arrangement, the users of the storing and seeking devices are typically unknown to each other, connected only by the commonality that one user has a piece of content that the other discovered from the server directory.
One problem with this type of system is that a user must generally search a directory in order to obtain content. The source of the content typically remains anonymous to the receiving party, and thus reliability and quality of the content are generally unpredictable. Users therefore rely upon trial and error to acquire a satisfactory targeted piece of content. Finally, some directory file server based systems allow unfettered copying of content among anonymous parties. Accordingly, the directory file server based system for obtaining content remains undesirable in many aspects.
Conventional content distribution systems are also poorly defined and difficult to use. While a user may be very familiar with navigating among available broadcast content through a programming guide or the like, finding content through a computer network can be difficult. General searches for content using search engines or other conventional vehicles produces results that are of unknown origin. Additionally, search results and corresponding selections can be difficult for the user to manage. Finally, the quality of recordings, the legitimacy of the distribution network and the corresponding recordings, and other aspects of these systems may be lacking.
Furthermore, systems that allow content providers to distribute content to a group of users having similar devices have traditionally been either overly or inadequately restrictive as to the sources of content. Specifically, some systems allow any provider of a particular format to provide content to users, whereas others require users to use an inflexible, fixed set of providers.
What is needed is a flexible content distribution system that allows users to readily connect with a modifiable yet controllable set of content providers. Further needed is content distribution that coherently and conveniently conveys the availability of content on a user's device.